HBJ Nov Issue

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By Dawn Suiter

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Bank Independent Celebrates Groundbreaking For Madison County's Fifth Location

October 11 marked a new mile stone for Sheffield-based Bank Independent with the groundbreak ing celebration for its fifth Madison County location, located at 9101 Me morial Parkway SW.

“Today marks another milestone in the bank’s legacy for service, growth, and commitment to the communi ties we serve,” said Bank Independent Huntsville City President, DeMarco McClain. “We’re beginning construc tion on the 33rd branch overall and the fifth branch in Madison County. That’s exciting.”

Penny Camp, the bank’s Chief People Officer, expressed excitement about moving into the South Hunts ville community. In addition to the team members instrumental in bring ing about the latest branch, Camp recognized general contractors Robins & Morton, Lambert Ezell Durham Ar chitecture, J.M. Phillips Engineering, Shoals Engineering, and Mechanical Design Services for their role in devel oping the newest branch location. “We are thankful for each of you and look forward to partnering with you on this project,” she said.

Camp also noted that Bank Independent loves to support the lo cal communities. “We are all about strengthening our communities and

that’s so much a part of who we are and what we want to do each and ev ery day.” Because of that, she stated that they will be actively seeking out team members that are involved in and want to help support the South Hunts ville community.

“We look forward to finding those team members and continuing to serve this community the way that we have served so many in the past.”

Bank Independent President Macke Mauldin provided a brief his tory of the bank, which began when a group of farmers pooled their re sources following the sudden closure of the town of Leighton’s only bank in 1947. “As we grow, our continued belief in serving the communities we’re in remains today and I think this is a testament to our commitment to our communities, and we thank you for that,” he said.

Mauldin noted that at the time of its organization, the bank had a total of $1 million in assets. “The bank is now at $2.3 billion in assets and grow ing every day.”

Bank Independent is unique in that unlike most, it is a true family business, passed down through multiple gen erations. Mauldin acknowledged the many family members in attendance, several of whom live in the Huntsville area. Referring to his brother Preuit’s daughter Ann and his own daughter Hallie, Mauldin noted that they’re fourth-generation Bank Independent bankers. “We’re looking forward to having them grow and prosper as well with the rest of our team.”

Following the groundbreaking, Bank Independent CEO Rick Ward law addressed the audience, echoing thanks for the leadership team and

partners and noting that the bank “turn[s] the organizational chart upside down…when you turn it upside down, the customer is the boss.”

“With that servant leadership, it helps us achieve our mission of making a positive difference in people’s lives. So we’re excited about the opportunity for this location to be built so we can make a difference in the lives of the people in this community.”

Wardlaw then provided an ex

By Dawn Suiter / Photos by Dawn Suiter

ample of how Bank Independent puts its promises into action: on October 6, it was recognized by Newsweek for its employee sentiment and satisfac tion, ranking #36 among the “Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces” in the na tion. The results were determined after surveying over 1.4 million employees from businesses ranging from 50 to over 10,000 employees.

Wardlaw noted that a num ber of local and regional banks in North Alabama and Huntsville have been sold and even resold in the past several years. “For 75 years, Bank Inde pendent has been building a reputation to be the bank of choice and the em ployer of choice in our communities. Bank Independent has been built not to sell, but we are built to serve. We’re excited to be able to extend this ser vice to this community for the next 75 years and beyond.” w

Pictured below Penny Camp, Chief People Officer of Bank Independent

SIT DOWN WITH SUCCESS

A Conversation with Kellie Andrews

Sit Down With Success is a feature of the Huntsville Business Journal on entrepre neurs and their keys to success. To read the full story, please visit the Huntsville Business Journal Website.

Prior to launching the Huntsville Hub, owner Kellie Andrews tried out a variety of business roles while seeking her niche. The breakthrough came with a book entitled “101 Best Businesses to Start”: one of the case studies, ‘Shared Tenant Services,’ featured a secretary who launched her own secretarial business in a couple of rented rooms and, after find ing that her income from renting unused office space surpassed that of her original business, she expanded her space further to create an executive suite.

Grasping the business potential of this venture, Andrews and her husband began seeking their own space, ultimately settling on Building 600 at Office Park South due to its affordability and at tractiveness. The property owner at the time, the late Jerome Averbush, helped them negotiate the acquisition of the fa cility in 1994.

During our conversation in the con ference room of The Hub, Andrews noted that while she doesn’t own the property, she has a master lease that gives her the

right to sublease. “I bought all of his pieces and parts, I bought all of the con tents of the business, and just picked it up where it was.” The Hub encompasses roughly 18,000 square feet of office space, including the building’s entire first floor and about a third of the third floor.

How long have you lived in the Huntsville area?

I moved here in 1986 to go to UAH. I came from Birmingham…I wanted to get an MIS degree and at the time it was UAH or Tuscaloosa. It was one of those two schools and I didn’t want to move somewhere that I’d move from again shortly thereafter, ‘cause people don’t usu ally stay in Tuscaloosa. I moved here so I could stay.

What would you consider to be the greatest challenge of owning a business?

Knowing what you don’t know. It’s easy to manage what you’re aware of but when there are big holes and you don’t know they’re there, they can break you.

This is just a teeny, tiny little example, but we had some misconceptions about how payroll tax went, and so for some long period of time we weren’t paying separate payroll taxes.

The tax man didn’t like that, but we didn’t know we were doing it wrong. So

it came out of nowhere when we figured it out…it’s making sure that you’re con nected to the right people that are going to help you make sure you’ve got all the pieces covered. To me that’s the biggest challenge–every time I turn around it’s like we have to learn something new or I have to go find someone else to teach me something new.

What’s your favorite thing about being a business owner?

I am responsible for my own success or failure.

How do you balance your personal and professional life?

I don’t think there’s any difference… it might have been different at one time. My kids are grown and gone. They’re not actually gone–one of them is at the front desk there, she met you when you came in. She’s our first born…she grew up in these hallways. I’ve had to repaper her crayon on the wall. At one point there was a difference but now it’s a lifestyle. I don’t necessarily work 8-5 but I am very likely to have a call with a client at 6 AM or 8 PM. Not often, I don’t have to any more, and I’m mixing up what I’m doing personally and what I’m doing [for] work. It all flows together.

What advice would you give to

By Dawn Suiter / Photo by Steve Babin

someone considering starting their own business?

Ask a million questions. Find people, hang around people that are successful and learn everything you can from them. Get ALL the advice–don’t assume that you know.

What would you say is the secret to your success?

[Laughs] I’m a redhead…I’m very stubborn.

People have said ‘you’ve been in busi ness so long,’ because we’re in the middle of our 28th year now…I’m like ‘I’m just super stubborn–I have not failed because I have not quit yet.’ So that’s kind of it. There’s always a way out, there’s always a way forward if you just don’t give up. w

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Dawn Suiter

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Real Estate Update: A Conversation with HAAR on Interest and Inflation

We’ve all been watching as inflation has risen and interest rates have grown as well. To better understand what this means for the Huntsville real estate market, the Huntsville Business Jour nal sat down with Chris Hulser. Mr. Hulser, who has been a realtor since 2008, is the incoming President-Elect of the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors, and will be assuming the Presidency in January.

“Interest rates are tied to infla tion,” explained Hulser. “As inflation goes up, the interest rates rise. This tends to slow the market a bit. Some of that is because of people being a bit more hesitant to buy. Some buyers no longer qualify, because as the interest rate rises, their income-to-debt ratio changes. It also affects the pricing of homes - we’ve seen some prices come down a little bit.”

Hulser stressed that this was no reason for alarm. “It’s a part of the nor malization process, a trend that was bound to happen.”

He confirmed this reporter’s longheld perspective that the particular nature of Huntsville as a hub for Feder al and Defense spending provides some degree of “insulation” from the worst effects of economic downturn.

“With the Fortune 500 companies and the Army here, it keeps demand up. A lot of people who come to work on a temporary basis end up mak ing Hunsville their long-term home, so we’re still seeing a lot of demand. On the good side of that, we’re start ing to see a lot of homes come onto the market, so while in the past, we saw buyers scrambling to find a house, it’s now easier, with the slowdown, to

match buyers with houses. It isn’t that crazy, inflation of prices. Where other places in the country, their inventory is becoming stagnant, with few people looking to buy, we’re not seeing that here in Huntsville.”

With the natural high demand for housing in Huntsville, Mr. Hulser had a word of advice for realtors looking to educate clients on what interest rates mean for those looking to buy: “The saying is, ‘you want to marry the house, but date the rate,’” he said. “Some buy ers will want to wait for the rates to come back down, but we are still see ing those prices continue to rise, even if it’s more gradual. So someone could try to wait it out, but then end up pay ing more for a house, instead of buying now, then, when interest rates begin to go back down in maybe six months to a year, just refinance.”

As the President-Elect of the HAAR, Hulser sees communicating with, and educating, clients about the real estate market as one of the key functions of a realtor. “It’s important for clients to know that they need to speak to their lender, to keep in touch with them over the process, so they know the rates and whether or not

they will continue to qualify if rates change. We’re looking to educate the public and stabilize the market, so they don’t panic when they see fear-tactic headlines like ‘The Real Estate Market is Dead!’”

This seems like a good place to mention that we here at the Hunts ville Business Journal are committed to the principle of responsible jour nalism, not only as a business model, but as a service to the general public. Real Estate Update exists to keep the public apprised of developments in the market, so that those in the business of buying and selling properties might make informed decisions. Those devel opments may be positive, or they may be negative, but we will always strive to report on them in a calm, reasonable fashion. Sensationalist hysterics have no place in our newsroom.

“The housing market is not dead,” asserted Hulser. “It’s adjusting, it’s normalizing, it’s doing what it’s meant to do. We couldn’t sustain the mar ket that we had in 2021. We didn’t have any inventory, prices were going through the roof, and housing afford ability was basically non-existent. That sort of price increase was never going

to be able to last.”

By Marie Johnson

Finally, Mr. Hulser had a word of advice for anyone looking to buy or sell a home: “Hire a realtor. We’re the experts. This is what we’re trained to do. Trying to do it on your own would be like trying to do your own dental work.”

According to statistics from the National Association of Realtors, the median agent-assisted property sold for $318,000 in 2021, while the medi an For-Sale-By-Owner-Only property sold for only $260,000.

“We use accountants for our taxes, and we use lawyers when we have legal trouble. Realtors are professionals; we do this every day, and we know the pit falls and the roadblocks that can come that the general public just doesn’t un derstand. Hire a realtor, and let us do the heavy lifting.”

In short, don’t panic, consult the professionals, and recognize when the market is undergoing natural processes of correction. All good advice from the incoming PresidentElect of the HAAR. We here at the Huntsville Business Journal will con tinue to keep our readers informed of market developments. w

Real Estate Update: Madison County Weekly Update

The Huntsville Business Journal, in partnership with ValleyMLS, is pleased to present a new feature to the Real Estate Update column; weekly updates on the state of the Hunts ville/Madison County residential real estate market.

With reports coming in with greater frequency, and in greater de tail, the column will be better able to keep our readership informed of the conditions of the Huntsville market.

This first installment covers the state of the market for the week end ing on October 8, 2022.

The sharp rise in interest rates have led to a decline in mortgage and refinance activity. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage activity has plummeted to the lowest levels seen in 25 years, with mortgage applications to purchase dropping 39% compared to the same week in 2021.

The market for single-family

homes demonstrated increases in listings and inventory coupled with decreases in pending sales. While the new listings saw a modest increase of 0.6% to a total of 161, the number of residences in the monthly inventory jumped 86.7%, to a total of 1,121. The pending sales listed for that week dropped sharply, a 30% decline down to 114.

However, townhouses and condo minium units actually saw an increase in pending sales; 12 units were listed that week, and with 10 units sold, the pace was just shy of replacement. With that said, an additional 84 units were added to the inventory that week.

Townhouses, of course, are more affordable than their single-family counterparts, as illustrated by the housing affordability indexes for both types of unit.

The housing affordability index compares the median household in

come in an area to the median price of a housing unit in an area. A higher number means greater affordability; for example, an affordability index of 120 means that the median house hold income covers 120% of the median price of a housing unit, under the prevailing interest rates.

For both townhouses and sin gle-family homes, the affordability index took a hit from September of 2021 to September of this year. Townhouses saw a 36% decrease in affordability, showing an index of 103 - meaning that the average town house, with a median sales price of $266,500, is affordable to the average income, but only just.

In contrast, single-family homes in Madison County now have an af fordability index of 83 - that is to say, the average household income only covers 83% of the cost to qualify for a single-family home, which lists for a median of $337,750.

By Marie Johnson / Infographic courtesy of Valley MLS

All of this together has caused something of a slowdown in the pace of selling homes in Madison County: single-family homes stayed on the market for an average of 14 days, up from 8 the previous year. Town house units spent an average of 18 days on the market, but that tracks more with previous years’ figures, whereas such units sold much more rapidly in April of this year, where they spent a mere 5 days on the mar ket, on average.

High interest rates do not simply appear out of the aether; they are in tended to lower the rate of inflation. The combination of high interest rates slowing sales, and the introduction of inventory into the market should de flate the cost of housing a bit. This can be seen in the minor dips - 1.7% and 2.3%, respectively - of the percent of list price received for both single-fam ily and townhouse units. This figure is found by dividing the price actually re

ceived by a sold property by the latest list price before sale, then deriving the average for properties sold in a mar ket over a given period. In September 2020, the percent of list price received was at or near 100% for both types of units - what they listed was almost exactly what they sold for - before swelling a point or two in September 2021, and then dipping below 100% in September 2022.

While the high interest rates are certainly painful, in the long run, the correction should help in mak ing homes more affordable for the young professionals looking to move to Huntsville. Demand for hous ing remains high, so the rate of sales should eventually pick back up - it’s also important to note that autumn is generally a slower time for real estate sales anyway - but at a more reasonable rate than the uncontrolled explosive growth of the pandemic years.

As always, the Huntsville Busi ness Journal will continue to bring its readers the information they need to succeed. w

Liberal Arts Education at UAH Inspired Alumnus Scott Hightower to Give Back Through Endowed Scholarship and Community Service

It all began with a summer spent lifting concrete blocks.

Scott Hightower (B.A. Political Science and Philosophy ’75) started his college career at another institution as a pre-med major. After ending up on academic probation and spending a summer moving concrete blocks while contemplating his future, however, he transferred to The University of Ala bama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, to be closer to home and pursue a degree in political science and philosophy. “It was a summer of reflection, a cross roads moment, and my perspective shifted,” Hightower admits. “There was an expectation that I would go to medical school, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. And there’s nothing wrong with hard labor, but it can give a view of what one wants to do versus what one has to do.”

What he wanted to do was study the humanities, and his formative ex periences at UAH and his passion for the liberal arts inspired him to estab lish the Scott Hightower Endowed Scholarship through a planned gift. The scholarship will cover tuition, fees, books, room and board, and other expenses for undergraduate or graduate students pursuing degrees in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHS). Hightower chose to give because “it’s something we should do to help the next genera tion of students and hopefully plants a seed of giving back as they make their way through life after college.” He chose a planned gift specifically be cause “a planned gift like mine from an estate perspective is a great way to allocate your assets according to where you think it will help the most in the future. It feels like an investment into the next generation without the expec tation of a thank you. It’s just there for whoever needs it.”

Hightower also recognizes that the cost of a college education is rising. “Knowing the value of an education in my own life, and seeing the rising

costs – that’s what inspired this schol arship. This is for folks who don’t have the support or means. If anything hap pens – a car breaks down or you have a medical emergency – it can throw you financially. I’m so grateful for my education and the affordability of it at the time.”

The education he received at UAH, Hightower says, was life-chang ing. “The liberal arts is about reasoning and learning, instead of memoriza tion,” the alumnus notes. “It teaches you a way to think and to use criti cal thinking skills.” That high-quality education was impacted by talented and engaged instructors. “The pro fessors were really good,” Hightower confirms. “They were intense and had high expectations. Professors like Dr. [Carolyn] White in political science, or Dr. [Robert] Burns in philosophy – they were amazing. In class we had thought-provoking conversations.”

The content, too, was influential. His exposure to the Socratic method and symbolic logic has influenced his professional and personal decisions, including his philanthrop ic convictions. Hightower says the high level of instruction he received

By Jenn Memolo / Photo courtesy of UAH

“made me curious for life” and pro moted a love of lifelong learning that has continued to this day. “Having an education is important,” he explains.

“The goal is to be challenged in dif ferent ways so you don’t get stuck. It keeps your mind agile.”

This approach to life and the ability to ride the line between in terpersonal and technical skills has carried Hightower to professional suc cess. As a senior director for BlueCross BlueShield, Hightower stresses his lib eral arts background gave him a unique and valuable set of skills that allowed him to address complex and techni cal details across multiple groups. “My educational experience provided me the ability to navigate conversations and corporate politics and work with different leaders and leadership styles. I had to work with different types of people and in different states.”

Part of successfully working with different groups of people, Hightow er maintains, is learning more about them and their cultures. To accom plish this, he worked with BlueCross BlueShield leadership to create em ployee resource groups of like-minded, like-cultured individuals in the com pany, such as a group of people from south Asia. The goal, he says, was to es tablish a supportive corporate culture that embraced diversity, acceptance and inclusion. “I learned a lot from sponsoring those groups,” he admits. “It really helped me to understand my own biases and cultural ignorance on certain topics.”

Ultimately, Hightower says his liberal arts education gave him a key advantage: “A lot of people I worked with were more educated than me, but I had insights they lacked and they val ued that. It gave me the confidence to do what I wanted to do.” That confi dence stems from Hightower’s ability to remain flexible in the job market.

“You might have instruction on a spe cific topic, but it’s old news in a few years. The pace of change is so fast.”

Hightower says his ability to adapt is

“The only way our country and society can get better is to ensure the next generation of students have a challenging and rigorous environment so they can adapt and change as necessary. Having a thriving and growing university in your community is one of the best resources you can have.”

what kept him viable in an evolving job market.

Now that he’s retired, Hightower is applying those skills learned in the corporate context to the mounting concern of homelessness in Chatta nooga, where he spends much of his time. As a stroke of good fortune, he read an article about UAH alum nus Taylor Reed’s (B.S. Mechanical Engineering ’16) involvement in the launch of ShowerUp Huntsville. ShowerUp is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides mobile showers, personal care and hygiene supplies to the home less and has locations in Chicago, Wichita and Nashville. “I called him [Reed], he drove down and we spent a Sunday talking. I was impressed.” Hightower says he loves the concept: “It’s a fully-integrated service the homeless are missing.”

That conversation inspired High tower to research how he could implement something similar in Chattanooga. “Homeless numbers in Chattanooga have tripled since COVID, so it’s a growing problem,”

Hightower notes. After a conversation with a member of the Chattanooga Sheriff’s Department, however, Hight ower shifted the way he thought about the issue. “The bigger question is how do we prevent homelessness in the first place?” Hightower then learned about a California program that of fers a recuperative care location for the homeless. “Homeless individu als are often ‘frequent fliers’ in the emergency room,” he shares. “After receiving medical care, there’s no place to discharge them to and there’s no continuity of care with their medica tion, so they end up back in the ER.”

Hightower explains the California program uses a renovated hotel with nurses and social workers to help the individuals recover. “There are also other resources to help that per son get a job and a place to live. It’s a 90-day model to help the home less return to a productive life,” he adds. This formula, Hightower says, is appealing to law enforcement, local government, hospitals and insurance companies and could be subsidized

by the costs normally expended in re peatedly treating these patients. “Now I’m contemplating how ShowerUp would be a complement of this big ger system,” Hightower reveals. “This could be an aligning model for every one to decrease costs and positively impact humanity.”

When speaking to others about the decisions he’s made, Hightower often shares the story of his summer of reflection and his choice to transfer to UAH as one that forever changed the trajectory of his life. “When I was first in college, I went through a period of time where I wondered what was going to happen in the fu ture and what I was going to do,” the alumnus acknowledges. “It’s some thing we all go through at some point in our lives, and we shouldn’t be afraid to have that experience.” In fact, he sees that experience as an opportunity: “If you can look at your failures, you can find your successes.”

One opportunity gained, Hight ower asserts, is his ability to give back – both to his community and to UAH.

“The only way our country and soci ety can get better is to ensure the next generation of students have a chal lenging and rigorous environment so they can adapt and change as neces sary. Having a thriving and growing university in your community is one of the best resources you can have.” His experience at UAH, he says, was formative and is a major inspiration for wanting to support the university now. “In many ways, I was very for tunate to have the opportunity for a great all-around liberal arts education because it allowed me to pick a career path I enjoyed. I would challenge oth er liberal arts graduates to share their experiences and support the university in any way that works for them.”

As for that summer lifting concrete blocks? “I’m happy I sur vived it all,” Hightower laughs. “Now I’m having more fun than I ever have before.”

CTA box: Please contact the of fice of Development if you’d like to learn more about how to make your planned gift. w

EDUCATION

How Huntsville Area Schools Stack Up Online

When considering what school to send their child to, many parents resort to using online resources to determine what the best option may be. While websites and online rank ings such as Niche, US News and Great Schools can be useful, it is best to use them in addition to pub lic testimonies and other sources of information.

The numerical scores and rat ings assigned from these websites are often based on test scores. But this thinking is profoundly misleading, according to new and old research alike. Schools with the top scores aren’t necessarily the ones that help students learn more. On top of that, rating schools based on overall scores unfairly penalizes those serving more students of color.

For example, a paper published by four economists was among the first to rigorously examine the va lidity of the measures used by the popular third-party rating site Great Schools. The paper was published after a similar report by Chalkbeat in 2019 showed that GreatSchools rat ings effectively steer families towards schools serving more affluent, white, and Asian students.

While keeping this information in mind, it should still be comforting to parents how well public schools in the Huntsville area have performed in various school ratings resources. Madison City Schools is ranked the Best Public School District in Alabama for 2022-2023, accord ing to a national education research group study. The report by NICHE placed Madison City Schools No.1 out of 138 school districts statewide, and 57th best of 10,571 school sys tems nationwide. Individual schools in Madison also fared well in the NICHE report, with all in the top tier.

The seven elementary schools in Madison City all landed in the top 10 of the school rankings. Mill Creek at #3; Horizon, #4; Heritage, #5; Columbia, #6; Midtown, #8; Madison, #9; and Rainbow #10. That's out of 741 elementary schools

ranked statewide.

Discovery Middle placed 1st and Liberty 5th out of 397 middle schools ranked statewide. James Cle mens placed 6th and Bob Jones 9th out of 365 Alabama high schools.

Madison City Schools Superin tendent Dr. Ed Nichols said being in the top tier in every category is a "true community effort" that every one can be proud of for achieving.

As for the other surrounding school districts, NICHE ranked Hartselle City schools as the #2 school district in the Huntsville area, Athens City Schools at #3, Madison County Schools at #4 and Hunts ville City Schools at #5.

This article is meant to merely act as resource for those interested in how some of schools in the area have been rated and ranked against each other online.

Best Public Elementary Schools in Huntsville Area According to niche.com

#1 Mill Creek Elementary School:

• Percent ProficientReading: 74%

• Percent ProficientMath: 81%

• Student - Teacher Ratio: 14:1

#2 Horizon Elementary School

• Percent ProficientReading: 74%

• Percent Proficient - Math: 76%

• Student-Teacher Ratio:15:1

#3 Heritage Elementary School

• Percent ProficientReading: 79%

• Percent Proficient - Math: 82%

• Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1

#4 Columbia Elementary School

• Percent ProficientReading: 77%

• Percent Proficient - Math: 76%

• Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1

#5 Midtown Elementary School

• Percent ProficientReading: 72%

• Percent Proficient - Math: 80%

• Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1

#6 Madison Elementary School

• Percent ProficientReading: 71%

• Percent Proficient - Math: 73%

• Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1

#7 Rainbow Elementary School

• Percent ProficientReading: 76%

• Percent Proficient - Math: 75%

• Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1

#8 Barkley Bridge Elementary School

• Percent ProficientReading: 77%

• Percent Proficient - Math: 82%

• Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1

#9 Riverton Elementary School

• Percent ProficientReading: 72%

• Percent Proficient - Math: 82%

• Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1

By Noah Logan / Photo courtesy of Huntsville City Schools

#10 Mt. Carmel Elementary School

• Percent ProficientReading: 72%

• Percent Proficient - Math: 77%

• Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1

Best Huntsville Area High Schools According to U.S. News and World Reports

#1 New Century Tech Demo High School

• National Rank: 166

• Graduation Rate: 100%

• College Readiness Score: 69.7

#2 Bob Jones High School

• National Rank: 1784

• Graduation Rate: 97%

• College Readiness Score: 44.4

#3 James Clemens High School

• National Rank: 879

• Graduation Rate: 95%

• College Readiness Score: 43.9

#4 Huntsville High School

• National Rank: 1,719

• Graduation Rate: 91%

• College Readiness Score: 39.9

#5 Madison County High School

• National Rank: 2,382

• Graduation Rate: 96%

• College Readiness Score: 40.5

#6 Virgil Grissom High School

• National Rank: 2,791

• Graduation Rate: 85%

• College Readiness Score: 33.9

#7 Ardmore High School

• National Rank: 2,821

• Graduation Rate: 96%

• College Readiness Score: 37.9

#8 Hazel Green High School

• National Rank: 2,851

• Graduation Rate: 95%

• College Readiness Score: 33.0

#9 Athens High School

• National Rank: 3,012

• Graduation Rate: 89%

• College Readiness Score: 25.7

#10 Buckhorn High School

• National Rank: 3,505

• Graduation Rate: 97%

• College Readiness Score: 30.0

*College Readiness score is a weighed average based 25% on the AP or IB participation rate and 75% on the quality-adjusted AP or IB par ticipation rate. Both exams are used when applicable.

Latest Plant Highlights Manufacturing

By Mike Easterling / Photos courtesy of Drake

When Bocar Group held a cer emony to mark the opening of a new plant, the ceremony highlighted the growth of manufacturing in Hunts ville and North Alabama.

The occasion gave Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle reason to reflect on that growth, which has shadowed the ongoing population and business surge in the city and sur rounding region.

Huntsville is now the state’s larg est city and continues to expand.

“This week we went out to a ribbon-cutting at Bocar,’’ Battle said at the most recent city council meet ing. “It is an automotive plant. Council President (John) Meredith and I were both out there, and it struck me as interesting that for years and years we’ve had companies doing advanced manufacturing who have moved to Mexico. This is the first time a company in Mexico has moved to Huntsville.

“So it was very interesting as we watched that process. They are highly robotic, they are definitely highlyadvanced manufacturing and we were very impressed with them.’’

Battle added that there were ”a lot of cities’’ vying for the relocation of the plant that will provide 600 jobs.

“So that’s a great thing for our community,’’ he said.

Such is the current state of the manufacturing industry in the Rocket City and the vicinity.

Another manufacturing build ing recently rose on the north side of 1-565 in Limestone County between

County Line Road and Greenbrier Road. Buf falo Rock opened a new distribution plant in the general location of Mazda Toyota Man ufacturing, Polaris and GE Aviation.

Bocar is located in Limestone County.

“A lot of these projects that consider Huntsville and oth er parts of the U.S., they’re going to hire thousands for new jobs,’’ Shane Davis, Director of Economic and Urban Develop ment for the city, told the Huntsville Business Journal in an earlier story. “Some will be lo cal and regional with an opportunity to secure those jobs and have a better life for their family. But there’s also a section of that project in most cases where 10 or 15 percent of the current workforce is going to get transferred from somewhere else to get that proj ect or facility up and running.’’

Davis added their were several factors that attracted companies re garding employment:

• Job growth could mean higher wage opportunities for workers

• Davis said the city was “laserfocused” on keeping the job workforce on an upward arc

• City administrators continually identify key locations for pos

sible expansion

• High quality of healthcare

• Yearly transportation upgrades with checks to make sure work ers have corridors to travel in and out of a city drawing from 16 counties including Tennessee

• Short drive to larger cities such as Nashville and Atlanta

• Lower cost of living than many metro areas

• Quality of life, another focus of city leaders, with a vibrant en tertainment scene and outdoor recreation

“(Companies’) most valuable as set is their employees,’’ Davis said. “Quality of life is huge. If they’re told, ‘We’ve made a deci sion to expand and, by the way, I‘m going to need you to move to Huntsville, Alabama.’ They’ll say let me look at it and want to feel comfortable about coming. That’s a huge decision. It’s got to be somewhere they want to be. That’s critical for industrial devel opment.’’

An obvious link

to continued manufacturing success is a viable workforce. A company that began operations earlier this year – the 501(C)3 non-profit Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Inte gration Center (AMIIC) – has among its goals a solution to aiding in sup plying that workforce.

According to its website, AMIIC was established to accelerate the adop tion of state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and build the North Ala bama workforce of tomorrow by: educating and developing the work force; promoting awareness, advocacy and assistance; and driving technol ogy innovation through projects.

AMIIC and America Makes

Manufacturing Surge in City, Region

Drake State and Mazda Toyota Manufacturing

recently co-sponsored the Techni cal Review and Exchange (TRX) at UAH. The two-day, sold-out event was so secretive that citizens of Cuba, North Korea, Libya, Syria, Iran and Sudan were not allowed on site.

“We are focused on supporting North Alabama’s workforce mod ernization and really accelerating the adoption of advanced manufacturing,’’ John Schmitt, founding Executive Director of AMIIC, said following the TRX conference. “We’re really more focused on the defense sector. With Redstone Arsenal and its com modities that it designs, develops and delivers, we believe fundamentally that Huntsville is critical to national security for decades to come.’’

Growing a modern manufac turing workforce that is ready for the field might require some special educational opportunities. Accord ing to AMIIC, 50 thousand students graduate high school in the state each year, 64 percent are workforce ready and 325 thousand don’t have a high school diploma.

By 2025, AMIIC claims 500 thousand highly-skilled workers will be needed in Alabama. The company offers team and individual training at amici.us.

“Our workforce needs some up skilling in the tools that will allow us to take advantage of the powers of advanced manufacturing, both to increase capability and most im portantly to reduce developmental

cycle times to stay competitive with (partners) adversaries,’’ Schmitt said. “Also, to relieve some of our supplychain resiliency challenges.

“We're focused right now on our early- and mature-level professionals, more in the engineering and design areas. We’re focusing heavily on digi tal engineering, model basis engi neering specifically, and additive manu facturing because it’s an army priority at the moment.’’

AMIIC offers services to help its partners “lever age organizational skills, understand specific technol ogy and workforce pain points, and share potential solutions.’’ The company adds that through partner ing with “industry, academia, and government,’’ a community can evolve that “serves and strengthens North Alabama and its growing tal ent pipeline.’’

Mazda Toyota, for one, has job openings as it ramps up production on the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid and the Mazda CX-50 among other projects and plans to employ up to 4,000. Other manufacturers, like GE Appliance in Decatur, are also seeking employees.

Schmitt said a good barometer

to measure the health of manufactur ing in the city and region is that the demand “is outstripping the supply of talented labor. I personally hope that’s an indicator of the volume of manufacturing returning to the United States.’’

The arrival of Bocar and its $176 million dollar investment perhaps underscores that locally. The new plant has 323,000-square feet of production and includes 18,000 square feet of offices, quality labora tories, a training center and employee services. By the end of 2022, 420 em ployees are expected to work on 21

different products.

“We are excited about the con tinued expansion of our investment in the US market, and we are confi dent that we will achieve significant growth here,” Ignacio Moreno, CEO of Bocar Group, said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The new plant will accelerate our develop ment to a higher level, by introducing new technologies and enhancing our product portfolio. This will stream line the manufacturing process, improve quality and provide the best service to meet our customers’ needs and further expand our presence in this country.”

Added Battle, “Bocar Group led the way in the city’s efforts to develop a robust automotive supplier ecosys tem, and their established presence drew many others to our community. We are pleased and honored to have Bocar Group in Huntsville.” w

Huntsville's Best Kept Secret for Small Businesses

Many business owners search far and wide for ways to improve their business. Throughout all stages of beginning and maintaining a small business, local resources are vital to those who are determined to make their business thrive and will stop at little to achieve their efforts, but what if some of the greatest resources avail able, were just right under the tip of their noses?

One of the greatest and most well-kept secrets in assets for small businesses, are the Public Library Networks. From free Wi-Fi to access to limitless records, research, and local business history, the pub lic libraries far and surpass mere dedication to the communities they serve.

“We serve all of Madison County, including Huntsville, Alabama's second largest metropolitan area known as the "Rocket City."”

Libraries are a key pillar of sup port for small businesses. Through providing programming, prototyping tools, and access to market research, they have also been shown to increase access to capital. As more libraries add coworking spaces and makerspaces, they are becoming even more appeal ing locations for entrepreneurs to get their start.

The Huntsville/Madison Coun ty Public Library (HMCPL) was founded in 1818, making it the old est public library system in Alabama at over 200 years old. The HMCPL is a 10-branch system, with additions such as their Bookmobile and Out reach services.

“We serve all of Madison County, including Huntsville, Alabama's sec ond largest metropolitan area known as the "Rocket City." We provide on line services, computer training, an extensive digital collection, public-use computers, free Wi-Fi service, meeting spaces, and much more,” reads the HMCPL’s website.

“The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber partners with the Huntsville/Madison County Public Library to offer a number of pro fessional development classes. Say you’re a company and you’d like to send your employees for training – we offer classes on Google Drive, Excel, and cyber security very often. We list these on www.hsvchamber.org.”, Ai ello said of their efforts to help local and small businesses.

“The library is offering some great classes right now to support people who want to get back in the workforce. These include classes to build your resume and work on your interview skills, and these are incredibly helpful to those who haven’t been employed in a while or may be looking for a job for the first time. Many of our companies have openings right now, too, so this is a great time to look for a job. You can visit asmartplace.com to search job listings, and we will also host a ReLaunch Job Fair on Tues day, November 15th with several companies present in one location,” continued Aiello.

Training the workforce in Hunts ville and Madison County, especially as the community continues to grow, is one of the library’s priorities. They

By Ashlyn Grey / Photo courtesy of HMCPL

offer training in computer skills sought by local employers, com pletely free of charge. The workforce development lab is for those who need

Claire K. Aiello, IOM, Vice

President, Marketing, and Commu nications of The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, shared on The Chamber’s partnership with the HMCPL.

Huntsville Public Library

assistance in fields such as creating an email address, building a digital re sume, conducting job searches, and completing applications.

Tracie Collier, Workforce Devel opment Tech for Huntsville/Madison County Public Library, spoke with the Huntsville Business Journal on the classes offered: “We offer workforce development classes that educate at tendees on building things such as resumes and cover letters. We also have Microsoft Office workshops, that are about focusing on building those skills.”

“I enjoy helping people get from where they are to where they want to be. That is my main concern. Where they are, and where they want to be. It is a clean slate with absolutely zero judgement.”, shared Collier.

People incorrectly think that li braries are just for kids when they are actually one of the best resourc es anywhere for local businesses. By overcoming outdated perceptions and reaching out to the library, business owners can begin to utilize resources

that help them succeed, such as the many programs offered by HMCPL.

“I would say that it is definitely not intuitive for people thinking of starting a business to start at the library. I think it is paramount that you develop key partnerships,” said Laura Metzler, Business Librarian, at the Cecil County Public Library, Maryland, in an interview with Bayonne Library.

“Easy-to-use research data bases and software are essential to providing all-around support, help ing entrepreneurs understand their niche and get their projects off the ground, whether it’s patent re search for prototypes or market research and business plan creation for small businesses,” said American Libraries Magazine.

It simply is not easy starting a business. Ask anyone who’s done it and they will assuredly say it is far more complicated than simply find ing a space to rent for your business and deciding upon its name. Business owners need knowledge across an ar ray of topics. Cue public libraries. Aside from texts and multimedia on starting and running a business, li braries are also treasure troves when it comes to accessing sample busi ness plans, model employee policies and subscription-based databases that provide community demographic in formation, industry trends or even sophisticated mailing lists—the kinds of resources that large corporations rely upon for success.

“It’s like we’re sitting on a gold mine,” Kristin McDonough, director of the New York Public Library’s Science, Industry, and Busi ness Library, told American Libraries Magazine. “(Entrepreneurs) can re serve meeting rooms so they can meet their clients. We let them use cell phones in low voices in cer

tain sections of the library. They can network after work and at our lunch time seminars.”

The Huntsville/Madison County Public Library has a collection com prised of more than half-a-million items, and they circulate those items more than 2 million times every year to their patrons.

“The HMCPL has evolved as the shift in the role of public libraries has changed in communities na tionwide. As a valuable community resource, the library connects people to social services, STEM and arts programming, Makerspace studios, workforce development training, media literacy, civic engagement and so much more. And as Huntsville and the surrounding communities grow, so does the demand for li brary services,” shares the Huntsville/ Madison County Public Library on its plans to evolve over the course of 2023. The Strategic Plan 2023, which can be found at About | Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (hmcpl.org). w

“The library is offering some great classes right now to support people who want to get back in the workforce.”

Judge Ruth Ann Hall Selected as 2022 Alumni of Achievement Honoree for College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

HUNTSVILLE, AL – Ruth Ann Hall (B.A., Criminal Justice, 1986), a Circuit Court Judge for Alabama’s 23rd Judicial Circuit, has been selected as the 2022 Alumni of Achievement award winner for the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHS) at The University of Alabama in Hunts ville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System.

Judge Hall was appointed to the District Court bench by Governor Bob Riley in 2007 and later appointed by Governor Robert Bentley to the Circuit Bench in 2011. Prior to her ap pointments, she handled litigation for 17 years on cases throughout Alabama with a concentration on civil defense in north Alabama. She received her law degree from Cumberland School of Law in 1990.

companies that had been sued, and I just got burnt out. I thought, there has got to be more to this than just money!

And so I applied for a judgeship. But when I didn’t get that first one, I was just heartbroken.”

But, she reasoned, so often in life things work out the way they are sup posed to, rather than what one expects or hopes for. When another judge re tired for medical reasons, Judge Hall saw it as a sign to try again.

“I applied for that second posi tion, and the Governor appointed me,” she says. “It was such a good thing that I didn’t get the first one!

Since taking the bench, Judge Hall has presided over the Adult Mental Health Court and the Juvenile Conference Committee (JCC). Ad ditionally, she founded the Juvenile Alternative Court (JAC), the first of its kind in the State of Alabama, to address the mental health needs of juveniles in Madison County, to help those who need it most.

“I am passionate about access to mental health and substance abuse treatment and assistance for veterans and alternatives for those suffering from mental illness who encounter the crim inal justice system,” the alumna says. “For the first 17 years of my practice, I defended people in business, insurance

The judge who was retiring had started an Adult Mental Health Court and was not able to do anything with it after she had gotten ill. I’ll never for get my bailiff saying, ‘we have Mental Health Court tomorrow.’ I had no clue; I’m not even sure what that is!

In Mental Health Court there are people who are normally first-time offenders who have a mental health charge, and we basically try to help them get their life back on tract. That’s how my involvement with mental ill ness got started, seeing people who were struggling with the system, jobs, doctors’ appointments, things they couldn’t understand.”

Judge Hall soon recognized there

was a real need to approach the prob lem from a new perspective as a way of helping those who found themselves struggling within the system.

“Someone would have horrible side effects to a drug, and they just wouldn’t say anything!” she says. “So I started to see all the issues that were lacking, like the ability to help people in court view themselves in a different light, to view the problem as a medical condition and be active in their care. And basically take a holistic approach.”

The Alabama Circuit Court is the general jurisdiction trial court for the State of Alabama. It has jurisdiction to hear all felony criminal matters and civil matters where the amount in question exceeds $10,000. The court is divided into 41 circuits, each with

By Russell Nelson / Photos courtesy of UAH

a presiding judge. When the alumna was first appointed a District Court judge, she dealt primarily with juvenile cases, and witnessing the same sort of mental health challenges being faced by juveniles in the system was what in spired her to do some research, where she learned “there was basically noth ing out there for them. We addressed the schools about this, and their spe cialized education plans were taken into account. There was a stigma about mental health, and that was often why they were behind in school.

“We are a very educated city, but you can’t be hospitalized here as a child – they send you to Decatur General,” the judge points out. “If there is not a bed available for a juvenile, they might have to go to Mobile, Gadsden or even Dothan. Sometimes we had to get the DHR [Department of Human Resources] involved, and I was really involved too. Most of the time you don’t label children with a mental ill ness, so we called it the Juvenile Health Court. It was the first time this had ever been done in the entire state, and I’m really proud of that!”

Judge Hall went on to establish a Veterans Court as well to meet the needs of veterans in the community who suffer from mental illness and/ or substance abuse issues. The alumna says the impetus that led her to estab lish a program for veterans came from a propitious encounter with a veteran in the Mental Health Court.

“When I became a Circuit Court judge, I lost jurisdiction over the juve niles,” she says. “I ran across a veteran in the Mental Health Court back in 2010 or 2011, and he would drive from here to Birmingham only to find out his appointment was cancelled. Then he would run out of his meds and miss his next appointment and couldn’t get them refilled. It had become a vicious cycle for him, all the things that he went through, and so I started the Vet erans Mental Health Court program that I still run today.”

“I am passionate about access to mental health and substance abuse treatment and assistance for veterans and alternatives for those suffering from mental illness who encounter the criminal justice system”

“So I started to see all the issues that were lacking, like the ability to help people in court view themselves in a different light, to view the problem as a medical condition and be active in their care. And basically take a holistic approach.”

The Veterans Mental Health Court recognizes the special challenges veterans in the system face, such as mental illness, anger, physical pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, which can lead to drug abuse, homeless ness and crime. Each case is assigned a mentor who is also a veteran and is certified through the Alabama Admin istrative Office of Courts, an advocate who supports the veteran through out the entire process. The court is designed to handle cases involving veterans charged with non-violent crimes and offers diversion sentencing, which includes counseling and mental health services.

Judge Hall is a native of Hunts ville, AL, as were her parents. “I have two brothers, both of whom obtained degrees from UAH, and a nephew who is currently seeking his MBA. Most of my family live in Huntsville. We still have Sunday lunch together every week. My mother has always been her children’s champion, con vinced that there was nothing that we couldn’t accomplish.”

Looking back on all that she has been able to do to serve others, it was that belief instilled at an early age that has driven her on.

“I tend to talk very blunt with folks,” the alumna says. “The only way you are going to be limited is if you allow yourself to be limited! Don’t al low people to label you or put you in box. If somebody tells me I can’t do something, then I’m bound and deter mined to do it. You never know what may have happened in your life that is really a stepping stone to where you need to be. That’s how my experience

with and working with diversion pro grams and mental illness came to be. It all started from that first day at the Adult Mental Health Court program. And so that has been a lot of my focus, to make sure these people can get treat ment. That’s probably the thing I’m proudest of.”

As she looks to the future, Judge Hall doesn’t tend to dwell on day-today obstacles too much, but instead is constantly looking at the overall pic ture to find new ways to help make things better.

“There are great, great days and then there are days where you want to bang your head on the table,” she says. “But I love what I do. I don’t think I will retire when I’m first able to, because I want to be involved with this a long time. You can’t just look at one thing to make a difference, like the Veterans Court program. Did they use all their GI benefits for education? Are you able to work some? Because sitting at home doing nothing leads to depression. Maybe work in the com munity garden, work for Meals on

Wheels, packing the lunches. Taking care of a criminal charge is one thing, but there are so many other issues. That’s why the programs have got to be holistic in nature.”

The judge says her favorite mem ories of UAH are “the friendships I made that continue today. You can’t beat the education you will get there. It’s a place that allows kids the op portunity go to college locally to get a fantastic education.”

If she could share one piece of ad vice with a current UAH student, her guidance comes ready to hand from her own life experience.

“Volunteer and give back to your community! It will be the most rewarding thing that you will do. And choose your career path based on your passion regardless of the sal ary expectations or the popular career options. The men, women and chil dren that I have met during my years as a judge that desperately need mental health services or the veterans that feel that they are forgotten continue to be my motivation.” w

“It all started from that first day at the Adult Mental Health Court program. And so that has been a lot of my focus, to make sure these people can get treatment. That’s probably the thing I’m proudest of.”

Navigating the Future Labor Market

It may seem like the current labor market is in new territory, but labor shortages are nothing new. In the 19th century there was such a need for sailors that desperate and immor al ship captains would pay to have men kidnapped and forced them to work on their ships. This practice was so widespread on the U.S West Coast that sailors called it being “shang haied”. During the reign of Genghis Khan, the empire was so desperate for skilled labor that raiding parties were sent out to kidnap blacksmiths and carpenters just as often as they would raid for treasure.

Labor shortages and the demand for products have led humans to do horrific things to meet the demand for goods and services, but labor shortages have also been opportuni ties for technological and cultural innovations that led to greater inclu sion. The labor shortage of WWII lowered barriers for several groups in the United States, hence paving the way for a larger labor force.

Labor shortages also create oppor tunities for innovation in technology that often led to new industries and more jobs. Often what appears as a great obstacle is actually an oppor tunity. For some organizations the remainder of this decade will be an obstacle, but for others it will be a massive opportunity.

We are at a very interesting point in time and there are opportunities to be seized for organizations that are prepared. In this decade two major demographic shifts will occur that have the potential to disrupt our labor markets even more than the COVID-19 pandemic. These two events are the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation and the largest transfer of wealth ever experienced.

In this decade the vast majority of Baby Boomers will reach retire ment age, and by 2030 the U.S. will, for the first time in history, have more people over the age of 65 than under the age of 18. This is assum ing that the current decline in birth rates will continue, and the rates have been trending down since 2007 with no indications of reversing. For our labor market this means a continued

discrepancy in the supply of labor be cause we don’t have as many or more people entering the labor market as we have exiting.

Of course, there is the possibility of Boomers working later into life.

However, even if they elect to remain in the workforce longer, it is still only a matter of time before they will no longer be able to work. Any increase to the number of years a Boomer stays in the labor market will only delay the problem. It is estimated that roughly 10,000 Boomers reach retirement age every day. Consider that number with the 28 million that have already exited the labor market and the trend is easy to see.

The second major shift will occur with the greatest transfer of genera tional wealth that has ever happened. It is estimated that between $30 tril lion and $68 trillion will transfer from Boomers to their adult children within the next 10 years. That’s a staggering number!

This transfer will make the prospect of early retirement a very real option for many Gen Xers and Millennials. For those that in herit enough to retire but remain in the labor pool, the reason why they work will shift from working to earn a living to working as a means of self-fulfillment. This change in why we work may cascade through the la bor force and result in a very shallow end of the labor pool for organiza tions that are not prepared to satisfy labor needs.

As we progress through the de cade many businesses will continue to struggle to meet their hiring needs and will be forced to evolve or die. The organizations that do what is nec essary and find ways to become more efficient or incorporate new resources to supplement labor shortages will thrive. Innovations in technology with greater utilization of artificial intelligence and robotics will become more prevalent and self service will be incorporated at a deeper level in service and hospitality sectors.

Beyond the increased efficiencies and technology innovations those organizations, reliant on workers to meet the needs of their customers, will learn that the desire for fulfill ment in the work experience will require them to place an even greater emphasis on workplace trust, culture and purpose.

In a future labor market where demand continues to outpace sup ply much like it does today, workers have more choices. For businesses to be competitive in talent recruitment they will have to align workers with a greater sense of purpose to recruit and maintain the best workers. At the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs sits self-actualization and this will be the battle ground for the organizations of the future.

Competing on wages and benefits is a race to the bottom and has low barrier of competition. To some ex tent every organization can increase prices to cover an increase in wages,

By Scott Harbour

but this leads to a cycle of labor mi gration only shuffling the problem around like a game of hot potato. This is not to say that workers will stop working for money. Compensation will continue to be a factor in labor markets it just won’t be the most im portant factor. Self-actualization will be just as important.

Our labor force is already show ing that they are no longer willing to accept negative work environments for money. This creates an opportu nity for organizations that can create an employee experience that appeals to an employee’s desire to become better versions of themselves. Thus, competing to recruit the best talent on a completely different level, break ing free of the labor migration cycles caused by monetary incentives. The requirement to compete at this level is the ability to appeal to the indi vidual worker through customized self-actualization programs that in turn support the overarching mission and vision of the organization.

This self-actualization benefit will be different for each employee and therefore the employee experience will need to be tailored to the indi vidual. This tailoring will require an understanding of each employees’ talents, passions, and potential as well as the pathways to develop and express the realized potential. The employee experience will also need to include a connection to a mission and purpose that reaches beyond the bottom line and into our commu nities and world. Thus, providing a sense of contribution to society as a whole and supporting the desire for self-fulfillment.

The timing of these two events is not certain and will be altered by inflation, stock market performance, recession, and immigration. However, both events will eventually happen and organizations that are not pre pared will suffer. This is a grim outlook for those that are not prepared. But a massive opportunity for those that are paying attention to their teams, un derstanding their needs, and offering a work experience that is rewarding and provides a path to realizing their potential in a real and authentic way.

BRIEFCASE

Bocar Group Opens New Plant to Continue Internationalization Plans Within USMCA Region

Bocar Group adds a new plant to its manufacturing capacity in Hunts ville, Alabama. Several government officials and senior executives of Bocar Group attended the opening ceremony, celebrating an important milestone in the Group's history. With an invest ment of $176 million for land and construction, the site is already fully operational and will play an important role in meeting the growing demand for local and global markets.

"With our first plant in the U.S. we are confident that Bocar Group is prepared to face the challenges of the global automotive industry such as weight reduction, more efficient en gines and electrification, which will also bring new opportunities,” said Marcus Baur, president of Bocar Group. “We are expanding our international pres ence and increasing our competitive advantage through innovation and technology. Highly specialized manu facturing processes and components are the keys to ensure value-added products and services for our customers.”

The new plant has 323,000 square feet of production and includes 18,000 square feet of offices, quality laborato ries, a training center, and employee services. By the end of 2022, 420 em ployees are expected to work on 21 different products.

By the end of this year, Bocar’s employees will develop and produce structural, power train, and electric drive unit components, among others. The new plant is the Group’s first man ufacturing facility in the United States.

“Bocar Group has a long history in the automotive sector, with nearly 40 years supplying parts to our customers in the United States. Next year, we will celebrate 65 years of serving the most important companies in the industry,” said Robbie Day, plant manager for Bocar US in Alabama. “Thanks to the support of the Alabama government, the construction of this plant has been successfully completed."

Aluminum parts are crucial to achieve automotive weight reduction and increased gas mileage targets, which

in turn becomes a strategic material to comply with environmental regulations and build sustainable mobility. Since 2014, Bocar Group has developed manufacturing knowhow and earned recognition from its customers, thanks to outstanding per formance and contribution to what has become a global commitment: To pro tect our environment. w

partners, like Launch 2035 and Ala bama A&M, who are at the forefront of growing an inclusive, prosperous economy in North Alabama.”

Founded in 2014, Launch 2035 is a regional economic partnership that started with the objective to uni fy Limestone, Madison and Morgan counties to ensure regional economic growth over the next 20 years and met its potential through a focus on three strategic areas: land use, workforce and entrepreneurship. Today, the organi zation has expanded to include all of North Alabama through coordinated planning and collaborative efforts amongst local business and community leaders in each county.

can serve as resources to our students and help us create more homebase op portunities for them.”

Athens State University owns and operates the LaunchBox, a new collaborative and innovative hub in downtown Athens and the host of the roundtable.

Innovate Alabama will host addi tional roundtables across the state to continue encouraging collaboration among local leaders and learning about the challenges and opportunities in each region. The next roundtable will be on Thursday, Oct. 20, at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa. w

Legislators, Educators and Entrepreneurs Come Together to Discuss the Future of Technology and Innovation in North Alabama

Last month, higher education leadership, entrepreneurial ecosystem builders, rural community leaders and lawmakers came together in Athens, Alabama, to participate in a regional roundtable, co-hosted by Innovate Ala bama and Launch 2035. The discussion focused on North Alabama’s current opportunities related to entrepreneur ship, commercialization and cultivating an innovative, skilled workforce.

In partnership with Launch 2035, Innovate Alabama facilitated this roundtable to encourage collabora tion between leaders across the public, private and education sectors who are facing shared challenges such as, retain ing talent to support workforce needs and enhancing the landscape of capi tal resources to rural entrepreneurs, in hopes of discovering potential solutions and opportunities for collaboration.

“Through this roundtable, Inno vate Alabama’s goal is to connect local and state policymakers with leading en trepreneurs and higher education folks across North Alabama to learn about some of the obstacles these leaders are facing as they work to move this region forward,” said Rep. Anthony Daniels, Innovate Alabama board member. “As representative of District 53, I’m grateful to serve the North Alabama community and to work with regional

One of Launch 2035’s main initia tives highlighted at the roundtable is the Singing River Trail, a 200-mile gre enway system that strengthens regional bonds between 16 North Alabama cit ies while creating new health and wellness, educational, economic, tour ism and entrepreneurial opportunities for these communities.

“The opportunities are endless when we bring together people from different corners of Alabama to de velop innovative opportunities that enhance the economic landscape of our region,” said Rob Hamilton, Launch 2035 chair. “The Singing River Trail is a prime example of this. By work ing with leaders in both the public and private sector across multiple counties, we developed a product that would le verage our region’s outdoor recreation assets to increase our state’s economic footprint. We are excited about today’s conversation and those to follow. This is the beginning of a long partnership between our state and regional leaders as we continue tapping into North Ala bama’s incredible potential.”

With numerous colleges and universities spanning across North Alabama, another critical point of dis cussion during the regional roundtable included post-graduate recruitment and retention challenges.

“For those of us engaged in higher education, we have noticed that many Alabama students seek opportuni ties outside the state after graduation with all of the knowledge and experi ence that they gained while in college here,” said Andrew Dollar, director of the Athens State LaunchBox. “We are grateful to connect with leaders in the business and government sectors who

BAE Systems’ Long-Range Precision Guidance Kit Passes Critical Test

BAE Systems has successfully fired its Long-Range Precision Guidance Kit (LR-PGK) for 155mm artillery projec tiles from the U.S. Army’s Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) at Yuma Proving Ground, demonstrat ing airframe structural survivability under extreme firing conditions. The LR-PGK improves the accuracy of unguided artillery projectiles with low-cost navigation and guidance technology.

The guidance kit combines antijam GPS sensors with control planes that enable projectile maneuverability throughout flight, and is compatible with existing and future artillery pro jectiles. The ERCA survivability tests are a critical milestone for LR-PGK. The propellant blast, gun barrel pres sure, and muzzle velocity truly tested the system’s resiliency.

“The LR-PGK has demonstrated its ability to help the U.S. Army de liver accurate fires up to 70 kilometers and meet mission objectives with fewer shots,” said James McDonough, LR-PGK program director. “Adding precision guidance to standard muni tions enables our customers to engage targets with greater efficiency and re duce collateral damage.”

The evolving LR-PGK is helping the U.S. Army address its need for long

range precision fires. BAE Systems continues to advance the system design to improve capabilities, manufacturing readiness, and affordability. Following the tests, the company is focusing on long-range guidance, navigation, and projectile flight control. The kits must demonstrate their ability to operate at high spin rates, in challenging atmo spheric conditions, and in the presence of enemy signal-jamming.

The recent success in test has also allowed BAE Systems to turn toward other aspects of the LR-PGK during tests.

“Now that we’ve demonstrated that the airframe can withstand be ing fired from ERCA, we can focus on projectile guidance in challenging con ditions, including signal-jamming,” said a representative of BAE Systems. w

Invariant Corporation Continues To Expand; Adds Additional 23,000 Square Feet of Space

Invariant Corporation, partnering with Freedom Real Estate and Turner Construction, has announced that they are breaking ground on a new suite in their existing facility in South Huntsville.

Invariant moved into the new mixed-use facility at 4040 Chris Drive in July 2021 and has already outgrown the current space. With the expansion, the company will add an other 23,000 square feet of space for offices, labs, and meeting areas.

“Invariant has experienced mas sive growth in such a short period of time that it was only natural to ex pand our footprint once again,” says David Anderson, President and CEO of Invariant. “We’re looking forward to continuing our relationships with Freedom Real Estate and Turner Con struction and ensuring quality service to our current and future customers.”

The new facility will also allow Invariant to expand its services and improve existing vertical capabilities. The expansion will boast a new elec

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tronics lab, two separate optics labs for hardware design and development, and a shipping and receiving center to store inventory in-house as needed. With an anticipated completion date of summer 2023, Invariant expects the expansion will bring at least 25 new jobs to the area. w

Justin Low Joins Bank Independent as HR Manager

Bank Independent is pleased to announce the hiring of Justin Low as the organization’s Human Re sources Manager.

Low joins the bank after spending the past five years as the Director of Human Resources for the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa. He was responsible for the oversight and direction of 270 employees. He also served on the Executive Management Team for the resort that was responsible for governance of the resort operations.

“I am very excited about this position and the opportunity to continue to make Bank Independent one of the best places to work in North Alabama.” Low said. “The culture that Bank Independent has established is very special and I look forward to living our Mission of making a positive difference in people’s lives.”

During the 15 years Low spent with the PCH Hotels and Resorts, he worked his way from banquet server and front desk clerk to the Director of Human Resources. He was named the Human Resources Specialist for the Marriott Shoals in 2010 before moving to the Grand Hotel resort in Fairhope as the Human Resources Manager. He was the Human Resources Manager at the Auburn Opelika Resort from 2013-2017 before returning to the Shoals.

i3 Holds Ribbon Cutting for New HQ

Integration Innovation Inc. (i3) held a ribbon cutting for its new head quarters located on Rideout Road SW in Huntsville, AL. This ideal location is at the entrance to Redstone Arsenal and central to the technology of Hunts ville. In October 2021, i3 became a 100% employee-owned company with the goal of moving to a location that better accommodates its customer and employee growth.

“Our new Corporate HQ is a physical manifestation of the growth culture we strive to maintain at i3. The collaborative spaces and amenities de signed into the building create a space that spurs innovation and will allow our team member-owners to grow and prosper,” said CEO Rich Kretzschmar.

Headquartered in Huntsville AL, i3 is a 100% team member owned company, and is a national leader in providing innovative technical and engineering solutions to a broad cus tomer base across the U.S. DoD.

Specializing in missile and avia tion engineering and logistic services; electronic warfare and electromagnetic affects analysis; UAS system integra tion and flight operations; full lifecycle C5ISR engineering services; engineer ing analysis: cybersecurity and IT/ IA innovative solutions and virtual training, simulation & serious game development and implementation.

For more information, please refer to www.i3-corps.com. w

“Justin brings with him a wealth of knowledge,” said Penny Camp, Chief People Officer of Bank Independent. “He demonstrates the exact values that we are look ing for in someone to play such an important part in the development of our team members. We are very excited to have him join us and lead our Human Resources Department.”

Low is a 2009 graduate of the University of North Alabama with a degree in Hu man Resources Management. He is currently of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Northwest Alabama. He and his wife, Meredith, live in Florence with their two sons, Whit (8) and Oliver (6).

Huntsville Business Journal Welcomes New Guest Writer

The Huntsville Business Journal is proud to an nounce the addition of a regular bi-weekly column from Scott Harbour, a new contributing writer to the Journal.

Scott, a long-time Huntsville resident and Gris som High School graduate, currently works as the Business Director for Chapman Sisson Architects, a leading architecture firm based in Huntsville.

Prior to his current position at Chapman Sission, Scott worked at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) for ten years in IT and Museum Operations. During his tenure at the USSRC, Scott eventually dipped his toe into entrepre neurship, which saw him owning and operating a multi unit franchise between 2012-2021 in North Alabama.

Scott received his undergraduate degree in finance from the University of North Alabama, followed shortly with his MBA from Mississippi State University. An avid reader and writer, Scott has written one book titled Building Great Teams and managed his own business-leadership blog.

Scott’s passion for writing and his business success has provided him with the ability to take “data and weave it into an understandable narrative.”

“My time as an academic writer, combined with my past and current busi ness experience, has given me both a love for writing and a keen understanding of analytics. I have worked in various areas that have given a diverse view of business holistically, and provided me with the base to disseminate data into useful articles and publications in the past,” said Scott.

His main areas of focus will include workplace culture, team member experi ence, the use of data and new technology to promote small business success, and lessons learned from past experiences.